Razor with fixed cutting means within a rotatable, foraminous, resiliently yieldable sleeve



June 5, 1962 AREY 3,037,281

RAZOR WITH FIXED CUTTING MEANS WITHIN A ROTATABLE FORAMINOUS RESILIENTLY YIELDABLE SLEEVE Filed July 31, 1959 2 h9ei 1 12323.8. E191. Ei .5.

June 5, 1962 R. G. AREY 3,037,281

RAZOR WITH FIXED CUTTING MEANS WITHIN A ROTATABLE, FORAMINOUS, RESILIENTLY YIELDABLE SLEEVE Filed July 51, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent Ofitice 3,037,281 Patented June 5, 1962 RAZOR WITH FIXED CUTTING MEANS WITHIN A RQTATABLE, FORAMINOUS, RESILIENTLY YHELDABLE SLEEVE Ralph Grant Arey, Brockton, Mass, assignor of twenty percent to Walter J. Hurd, Weston, Mass.; Abraham Stone, executor of said Ralph G. Arey, deceased, assignor of eighty percent to Janice Lydon Filed Juiy 31, 1959, Ser. No. 830,796 8 Claims. (Cl. 30-43) The present invention relates to dry shavers of the type provided with a rotatable, foraminous sleeve to be rolled over the skin and to admit hair into its interior to be cut against fixed, spaced, cutting edges by the shearing action of the sleeve moving relative thereto.

,In Letters Patent of the United States Nos. 2,331,646, 2,354,657 and 2,520,487, there are shown dry shavers of this type. Each of these had the disadvantageous feature that its cutting edges were oppositely disposed away from each other thus making it necessary to employ relatively narrow, special blades. In such razor, accordingly, each blade was centrally of the zone of contact of the sleeve with the skin and each cutting edge was disposed away from that zone.

A general objective of the present invention is to provide dry shavers of the above type in which two spaced cutting edges are disposed towards each other. While such cutting edges may be established by special blades, particular advantages ensue when the dry shaver is adapted to use a pair of any commercially available type of safety razor blades. The use of the term pair of blades, as used herein, is meant also to include any special blade construction in which two spaced cutting edges are disposed towards each other.

This object is attained, in accordance with the present invention, by providing a dry shaver that includes a rotatably, skin-contacting sleeve of stock that is foraminous to admit hairs into its interior and preferably, resiliently yieldable, thus to conform, at least in part, to facial contours as it is rolled over the skin. Means are provided for clamping a pair of blades within the sleeve in positions in which cutting edges are disposed towards each other in spaced relationship to each other and to the inner sleeve surface for shearing engagement with hairs exposed therein.

Another general objective of the invention is to provide a dry shaver in which traction is provided that prevents sliding of the sleeve relative to the skin and which, when such traction exists, has its sleeve in shearing relation with each cutting edge. This objective is attained by providing that the foraminous sleeve is so resiliently flexible that it becomes somewhat flattened and brought into traction producing engagement with the skin when it is held against and rolled over it, and the blade means has at least one cutting edge which is disposed in a position marginally of the zone of contact of the sleeve with the skin but towards the center of that zone. The sleeve is not in shearing relation to said cutting except when it is in traction producing contact with the skin.

When the sleeve is designed to yield as it is rolled back and forth in contact with the skin, the shaver is preferably provided with a roller disposed with its axis parallel to that of the sleeve between and in predetermined relation to the positions occupied by the proximate edges of clamped blades and to the sleeve to support the sleeve positively in shearing relation to whichever blade edge is then the leading one and to provide traction for the sleeve. This combination could be used with a single cutting edge but with the limitation that the shaver then has to be turned over when the direction of its movement is to be reversed.

It is preferred that the blade clamping means be in the form of a body whose maximum cross sectional dimension is considerably less than the diameter of the sleeve and that it have rounded bearing portions engageable by the sleeve and it is also preferred that the sleeve be loosely supported in the shaver.

Other objectives of the invention are to provide blade clamping means that are adapted for endwise locking into a unitary assembly 'and for endwise support in the shaver and to provide a shaver construction that will be compact, convenient in use, and easily assembled, disassembled, and serviced, and particularly adapted for use with doubleedged safety razor blades.

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown an illustrative embodiment of the invention from which these and other of its objectives, novel features, and advantages will be readily apparent.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top elevation of a dry shaver in accordance with the invention with its cover and sleeve partly broken away.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are views of opposite ends of the shaver.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal, vertical section of the shaver, on an increased scale.

FIG. 5 is a section taken approximately along the indicated lines 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view showing the sleeve, the roller and the blade clamping means in elevation.

FIG. 7 is an exploded end view of some of the parts of the blade clamping means.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, cross section through the sleeve, on an increased scale, showing the normal relation of the screen to the cutting edges and to the roller, and

FIG. 9 is a similar view illustrating the relationship of those parts during use of the shaver.

The embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings illustrates a dry shaver for use with two flexible, doubleedged, safety razor blades 10' comprising a holder generally indicated at 11, and shown as having a bottom 12 provided with end walls 13, each having its free end of semi-circular form and divided by a central, openended slot 14. Each of the side walls 15 has marginal flanges 16 pivotally connected as at 17 to an appropriate one of the end walls 13 to swing from its closed position into the open position indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 5. The side walls 15 have marginally flanged end extensions 18 each curved to lie against a correspondingly curved end wall 13 and to block its slots 14. In practise, the frictional engagement of the flanges 16 and the flanges of the extensions 18 with the end walls 13 hold the side walls 15 in their closed position.

A generally cylindrical body 19 has a pair of slots 20 shown as diametrically disposed and interconnected to establish a central pair of axially spaced webs 2.1 and 22 and that define end walls 23 and 24 provided with diametrically disposed portions 25 and 26, respectively, which are shaped and dimensioned to slidably fit the end wall slots 14 and to be held therein by the extensions 18 when the side walls 15 are in their closed position. One end wall 23 has a threaded axial bore 27 alined with bores 23 and 29 in the webs 21 and 22., respectively.

The portions of the body adjacent the slots 26 define seats 39 against each of which a double-edged blade 10 is to be locked by a clamp 31. Each clamp 31 is shown as provided with three blade positioning studs 32 disposed and arranged to enter appropriate ones of a series of radial bores 33 spaced lengthwise of each blade seat and transversely alined with corresponding bores through the other blade seat. The central bore of each series opens between the webs 21 and 22. The central stud of one clamp 31 has a forked end 34 which straddles a blade 35 formed on the central stud 3-2 of the other clamp 31 The forked end 34 and the blade 35 have transverse bores 36 and 37, respectively, which are in registry when the blades 10 are fully seated by the clamps 31.

A pointed end connector 38 has a knurled head 39 and an intermediate portion 40 for entry into the bore 27. As the connector 33 is advanced relative to the end Wall 23, the pointed end passes through the web 21, the bores 36, and 37, and into the web 22. Because of tapered point of the connector 38, the connector is operative to fully seat the blades 10 as it advances through the bores 36 and 37 if they are not already in alinement. It is preferred that the bores 27 and the connector 33 be threaded.

When the blades 10 are clamped against their seats 30, the edges of each are exposed and curved towards the corresponding edges of the other blade in spaced relationship thereto to establish two pairs of cutting edges. As the slots 20 are in alinement with the end portions 25 and 26, one pair of cutting edges is exposed and the other located within the holder 11 when the blade supporting body 19 is attached thereto. A sleeve 41 of metal or plastic stock that is foraminous and resiliently yieldable, has end reinforcements 41A and is dimensioned to fit freely between the end Walls 13 and to freely receive within it the body 19 and the attached clamps 31 and to be rotatably supported by portions of the clamps 31 which, when the shaver is in use, are on opposite sides of the zone of engagement of the sleeve 41 with the skin and closely adjacent the operatively disposed cutting edges of the blades 10. When the sleeve 41 is supported in the holder 11, a substantial portion is exposed above the side walls 15 and, normally, as illustrated by FIG. 8, the sleeve 41 is held out of contact with the edges of the blades 10 by adjacent portions of the clamps 31.

When the dry shaver is held against the face and rolled back and forth over the skin, the sleeve yields, as suggested by a comparison of FIGS. 8 and 9, so that it becomes somewhat fiattened and engages the skin in a manner providing adequate traction to ensure sleeve rotation. The spacing of the cutting edges within the sleeve and their angle relative to the inner surface thereof is such that shearing relation thereto results only when the shaver is held to effect traction producing engagement with the skin. When the sleeve and cutting edges are in shearing relation, the cutting edges cannot damage the sleeve and the sleeve cannot dull the blades.

It is preferred that a roller 42 is provided between the operatively disposed cutting edges and, as illustrated by FIGS. 8 and 9, in a position to prevent yielding of the sleeve 41 beyond that in which its shearing relationship to the cutting edge is assured and to enable enough pressure to be applied to get good traction. In practice, only one roller 42 is employed and it is provided with end spindles 43 to be removably supported in bearings 44 with which alined open-ended slots 45 with which the body end walls are provided at the end of each slot 21. The slots 45 are blocked by the extensions 18 when the side walls 15 are in their closed positions.

When the operatively disposed cutting edges become dulled, it is only necessary to swing the side walls 15 into their open position, remove the sleeve 41 and the blade supporting body 19, with the attached clamps 31 and the roller 42 as a unit. The sleeve 41 is then removed and the roller 42 is removed and replaced betwen other cutting edges. After the sleeve 41 has been replaced, the unit is then slid into place in the body end wall slots 14 with the cutting edges that are not associated with the roller 4-2 inoperatively positioned.

When the blades 10 are to be replaced, the same general procedure is followed but the connector 33 is withdrawn to release the clamps 31 to permit the old blades 18 to be discarded and replaced by new ones. In this connection, it will be noted that the end walls 13 are provided with projections 46 which are operative to so hold a blade supply in the lower part of the holder 11 as to prevent the extra blades from coming into contact with the sleeve.

It will also be noted that an arcuate cover 47 is in detachable engagement with the side walls 15.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a dry shaver, a rotatable skin contacting sleeve of stock that is resiliently flexible thus to be somewhat fiattened and brought into traction producing engagement with the skin when it is held against and rolled over the skin, said sleeve also being foraminous to admit hairs into its interior, blade means within said sleeve including at least one cutting edge disposed in a position marginally of the zone of contact of the sleeve with the skin but disposed towards the center part of said zone, said sleeve being in shearing relation with said cutting edge only when in traction producing contact with the skin in said zone, and a roller parallel to but spaced from said cutting edge and said sleeve, said roller being engageable by said sleev when in shearing relation to said cutting edge.

2. In a dry shaver, a rotatable skin contacting sleeve of stock that is resiliently flexible thus to be somewhat flattened and brought into traction producing engagement with the skin when it is held against and rolled over the skin, said sleeve also being foraminous to admit hairs into its interior, blade means Within said sleeve including two cutting edges towards each other in positions defining the zone of contact of the sleeve with the skin, said cutting edges being in an arc, said sleeve being in shearing relation with said cutting edges only when in traction producing contact with the skin in said zone, and a roller between said cutting edges disposed in parallel spaced relationship thereto and to said sleeve, said roller being internally tangential to said are and engageable by said sleeve when in shearing relation to said cutting edges.

3. In a dry shaver for use with two blades, a rotatable skin contacting sleeve of stock that is foraminous and resiliently yieldable thus to admit hairs into its interior and to conform, at least in part, to facial contours as it is rolled over the skin, means for clamping a pair of blades within said sleeve in positions in which proximate cutting edges are disposed towards each other in spaced relationship to each other and to the inner surface of said sleeve for shearing engagement with hairs exposed therein, the diameter of said sleeve being greater than the maximum cross sectional dimensions of said clamping means, said clamping means including arcuate sleeve supporting seats adjacent each of said blade occupying positions against which the blades are clamped by said clamping means, and a roller disposed with its axis parallel to that of said sleeve and between the positions occupied by the proximate edges of clamped blades and spaced with reference thereto to support the sleeve as it is being rolled over the skin in shearing relation to whichever blade edge is the leading one and to provide traction for said sleeve.

4. In a dry shaver for use with two double edged blades, a rotatable skin contacting sleeve of stock that is foraminous and resiliently yieldable thus to admit hairs into its interior and to conform, at least in part, to facial contours as it is rolled over the skin, means for clamping a pair of blades within said sleeve in positions in which each of their cutting edges is disposed towards corresponding edge of the other in spaced relationship thereto, means for positioning said clamping means with either pair of cutting edges that are disposed towards each other straddling the zone of engagement of said sleeve with the skin and in spaced relationship to the inner surface of said sleeve for shearing engagement with hairs exposed therein, and a roller disposed with its axis parallel to that of said sleeve and between the positions occupied by the proximate edges of clamped blades that straddle said zone and spaced with reference thereto to support the sleeve as it is being rolled over the skin in shearing relation to whichever blade edge is the leading one and to provide traction for said sleeve.

5. In a dry shaver for use with two double edged blades, a rotatable skin contacting sleeve of stock that is foraminous to admit hairs into its interior as it is rolled over the skin, and means for clamping a pair of blades within said sleeve in positions in which each of their cutting edges is disposed towards the corresponding edge of the other in spaced relationship thereto and to the inner surface of said sleeve for shearing engagement with hairs exposed therein, said clamping means including a pair of opposed, spaced, blade seats, and having a bore between said seats, a connector extending through said bore, and clamps, one for each seat and including blade anchoring parts, one such part of each clamp being engaged and held by said connector when said clamp is in a blade clamping position.

6. In a dry shaver for use with two blades, a cylindrical body having a longitudinally disposed slot defining two blade seats, one on each side of said slot, said body having a series of radial bores through each seat and a bore opening through one end, and a pair of blade clamps, one for each seat and including blade anchoring portions for slidable entry into respective ones of said radial bores, one anchoring portion of each seat including transverse bores which are in alinement when the clamps are in blade clamping position, and a member movable relative to said end bore and through the alined bores of the clamp portions.

7. In a dry shaver for use with two blades, a cylindrical body having longitudinally disposed, diametrically interconnected slots defining a pair of seats and a pair of interconnecting webs, said body having a series of radial bores through each seat each transversely alined with a corresponding bore of the series extending through the other seat and an axial bore extending through one end of said body and at least one of said webs, one bore of each seat opening between said webs, a pair of blade clamps, one for each seat and including blade anchoring portions for slidable entry into respective ones of said radial bores, one anchoring portion of each clamp having a transverse bore which alines with said axial bore when said clamps are fully seated, and a detachable connector extending through said axial bore and through said transverse bores of said anchoring portions,

8. In a dry shaver for use with two double edged blades, a rotatable skin contacting sleeve of stock that is forarninous and resiliently yieldable thus to admit hairs into its interior and to conform, at least in part, to facial oontours as it is rolled over the skin, means for clamping a pair of blades Within said sleeve in positions in which each of their cutting edges is disposed towards corresponding edge of the other in spaced relationship thereto, means for holding said clamping means with a pair of cutting edges that are disposed towards each other straddling the Zone of engagement of said sleeve with the skin, said means including a pair of transversely aligned, open-ended, radial slots between both pairs of proximate cutting edges, and a sleeve supporting roller supported by said clamping means within the pair of slots between the operatively positioned blade edges and held therein by said holding means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,843,720 Hagen Feb. 2, 1932 2,327,284 Hyhagen Aug. 17, 1943 2,520,487 Arey Aug. 29, 1950 2,637,902 Malmberg May 12, 1953 2,694,253 Gagnan Nov. 16, 1954 2,803,874 Obolensky Aug. 27, 1957 2,839,829 Knapp June 24, 1958 

